They say that age doesn't really matter when it comes to class: if you have the ability it doesn't matter how many times you've been around the block, or how long you've been out of school. With schools of excellence and academies fighting to pick up local, national and now international talent from the earliest ages, there's a race to the boys' clubs as clubs eye youthful talent that they can mould in their own image and perhaps make a fortune on in the future when they're sold on.
And then there are the wonderkids who are heralded as the finished article already: teenagers who make an instant impact in the top leagues and command the attention of some of the biggest managers and scouts in the game. And there's nothing fans like more than the opportunity to celebrate the unearthing of a real gem, which is why some of the world's biggest and youngest talents have changed hands for some stunning transfer fees.
For some players it seems that if you're good enough, you're worth extortionate and risky sums of money. The following players had reputations that far exceeded their tender years and forced some of the biggest clubs in the world to take some of the biggest financial gambles in the history of the game. And not all of them were entirely successful...
Some of these gambles paid off and these young guns did the business on the pitch and then earned their club more money in transfer fees. But as you'll expect, some scouts saw something that frankly didn't exist and some of the names you are about to see flopped at their clubs and are now plying their trades in obscure leagues all over the world.
If this wasn't real life and in the alternative reality that is Football manager, these boys would have five star potential and would be classed as 'Wonderkids'. In any case, here are the most expensive teenagers in the history of football.
10. Luke Shaw - Southampton To Manchester United
Rating: £31 million
Was he worth it? Who knows.
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Shaw has only played 69 times in his career and is possibly still more notorious for sending sexy text messages to a Playboy models, asking for a threesome than his skills on the pitch.
Still, if he plays for United for 15 years, he could still prove to be a good investment.